This Strange Place
by Sweet Maple Leaves
Summary: In his dreams, Hickoryfoot travels to a strange land, full of wild creatures and odd-colored forests. Things get weird, and he longs to go home. But first, they must find the cosmic squirrel! One-shot. ImagaineClan challenge.


**Hickoryfoot: molted gray and brown tom with amber eyes**

**This is a little ImagineClan challenge that I have been meaning to do for months, and here it is! SO, we were given the assignment to write a dream of a Clan cat based on their day, memories, and randomness. Hope you enjoy! And please, no flaming. I know some of the things here are weird, but dreams are random, and it is somewhat of a parody.**

Hickoryfoot plopped into his thick, mossy nest. The day had dragged on forever, the sun seeming to sit still in the greenleaf sky. He had just finished helping his sister, Silverflight, work on battle training with her apprentice. Leafpaw, her apprentice, as put up quite a fight, with cunning moves that left his muscles sore. It was good to be back in his shaded den, belly full of freshly caught prey.

Sleep clouded over his mind, but it didn't bring the usually dark comforts.

* * *

"Hulllooooooooo sllleeeeeepy!" called a strange voice above him, words smudged and slurred.

Hickoryfoot opened his eyes, blinking hard a few times to clear the strange scene before him, but it didn't go away. Overhead floated a cat, but it was different than any cat he had seen before. Its legs stretched for at least three tail-lengths each, dragging on the ground. The cat's pelt was speckled with dark blues and grays. _What is this?_ he thought, climbing onto his paws.

"Who are you?" he shouted at the cat above him, but the cat ignored him, still floating onward yelling at him to wake up. "But I'm here! I'm awake! Answer me!"

The cat whipped around without warning, facing Hickoryfoot. He jumped back, an adder's head appearing where a cat's should have been. "You are coming with me," the cat-snake hissed. Its legs began to wind around his stomach, squeezing slightly. Hickoryfoot tried to flail, but it was no use and he was soon swept off the ground.

"Where are you taking me?" he asked the strange creature. "And who are you?"

"You have no bussssnesss with who I am," the creature hissed. "But you are in ssssome big trouble."

"What did I do?" Hickoryfoot wondered out loud.

"You ssshould know, ssstupid."

Below, the tumbling forest he knew swirled away, and hills appeared. These hill, though, we unlike any he had ever seen. It was like looking at the sky, hills rolling with even, crisp blue. Green patches of cloud-like material dotted the expansive fields, the only change of color on the blue. Hickoryfoot twisted his head, catching a glimpse of the sky. It was painted the odd color of violets, speckled with orange.

The snake-cat began its decent from the sky. Two more limbs, that looked a little like snake tails, dropped from its sides. Hickoryfoot heard a muffled _thump_ as they hit the ground below. Slowly, the tails retracted, bringing him to the ground. The blue rose to meet him, and soon he had his paws once again on a solid surface.

The snake-cat floated beside him, legs dragging on the ground, nudging Hickoryfoot forward. "Watch it!" Hickoryfoot growled, turning to face the snake-cat. When he looked back, another cat was facing him.

He recognized her instantly. Her silver fur shown in the absurdly bright surroundings, and she licked her white front paws before noticing him. It was Silverflight, his sister. There was one problem, though. Instead of her normal green gaze, her eyes were a piercing red, like deathberries in the late newleaf sunlight. He flinched a little as Silveflight's gaze rested on him. Slivers of pain shot through his legs, forcing him to sit.

"Hello, brother," Silverflight mewed, stepping towards him. "It is good to have you here for your punishment."

"What?" Hickoryfoot gasped, trying to wriggle backwards. The pain return to his legs, and he laid helplessly on his side. "What punishment?"

Silverflight burst into a fit of giggles, stepping back. A wave of blue washed over her, as she disappeared. From the spot where she was standing grew a strong-smelling substance. Hickoryfoot wrinkled his nose at the foul stench, as the pile grew larger. He recalled this pungent smell from his apprentice days: mouse bile.

The mouse bile piled even higher, now towering a tail-length over Hickoryfoot's head. "What is this?" he asked, turning to face the snake-cat, but it has disappeared. "Well, now I need to find a way out."

Hickoryfoot carefully placed a paw forward, avoiding the heaps of mouse bile. More had appeared, the blue and green earth lost from sight. He had to get out of this maze of smelly gunk, alive, and soon. This place was much too weird to stay in. One paw after another, Hickoryfoot padded forward. After a short time, he was paw-deep in the unavoidable ooze.

"Help me!" a voice called from behind the vile substance. Hickoryfoot carefully turned his head to face the voice, but he saw no cat to whom could be speaking to him. _I bet this cat is talking to someone else,_ he reassured himself. _I need to get out of here._ But the voice kept calling.

_Fine, I'll help the cat,_ he decided, not wanting to. "Where are you?" he shouted into the ever-growing piles. The voice soon replied. Hickoryfoot noted the cat calling from in front of him, and followed as close as he could, until he saw the cat.

The cat was an elderly tom, muzzle grayed with age. His pelt was light brown, dusted with small black spots. His ears looked torn from battle. Mouse bile sloshed around his paws, trapping his frail body. Compassion swarmed over Hickoryfoot, who ran as fast as he could to meet the poor elder. Hickoryfoot reached forward, grabbing the cat's scruff in his jaws. He struggled to pull backwards, the bile watering down and flowing into a strong current.

He reached the current, the wailing elder ignoring his effort to pull both of them to safety. _I have got to clean myself after this!_ Hickoryfoot thought. _This is disgusting! _His underbelly was soaked, plastering against his skin. He turned his head slightly, noticing that a river had combined with the towering piles of mouse bile, flowing them out.

"Excuse me!" he grunted to the elder, mouth full of fur. "Can you help?"

The elder stopped flailing for a moment, looking straight into Hickoryfoot's eyes. "What do ya' want me to do?" he croaked in a ragged voice.

"This is a river, see? Now, if we can just float or swim down, we can escape!"

"Brilliant! I'm Heavybelly. Who are you, young chap?"

"I'm Hickoryfoot!"

"Nice name. My brother was named Fishblaze!"

"What does that have to do with anything?"

"I'm not quite sure..." Heavybelly trailed off.

"Come on!"

Hickoryfoot leaped into the swiftest part of the current, Heavybelly following. The mix of water and mouse bile was suffocating, but they managed to keep padding onward. The stench filled his nostrils, the water stuffy and hot. Hickoryfoot thrashed through the water until it began to clear, mouse bile carried away.

"I'm glad that's over!" exclaimed Heavybelly. He pulled himself onto the bank, shaking out his pelt.

"I know!" replied Hickoryfoot. "They brought me there saying I had a 'punishment'! WHat was that all about?"

"That snake is crazy. They punish everyone who comes here, for no reason at all!"

"Well that's great. How can I get home?"

"We must find... THE COSMIC SQUIRREL!"

* * *

Hickoryfoot leaped from the rocky ground, claws scraping the bark of the tree he was aiming for. He unsheathed them, but the smooth bark was too slick, and he tumbled down to the ground. Dust wafted up through the dry air.

"Nice jump!" mewed Heavybelly.

"Yeah, but I didn't make it. How do you know the cosmic squirrel is in these trees anyway?"

"I don't. But I'm pretty sure he is in a tree. After all, he is a squirrel."

"That makes sense."

Hickoryfoot leaped again, aiming for a lower branch. He scrambled for a moment, finally sitting on top. The slick bark made it hard to balance, and even harder to jump. "Hey, Heavybelly, can you help me?"

"With what? My old bones can't jump, much less climb a tree!"

He just sighed, trying another jump to the next highest branch, only a tail-length away. His claws found a ridge that had been torn away. _I'm lucky! Someone tore this bark in just the right place!_

Hickoryfoot lifted his gaze, noting several tears similar to the one he had used all over the branches. "Heavybelly! I think the cosmic squirrel lives here!"

"Cool!" Heavybelly got to his feet. "Tell him to come down here if you find him!"

"Sure!" Hickoryfoot continued up the tree, jumping from branch to branch. More and more pieces of bark were stripped away as he neared the top. Soon enough, the branches grew too thin to jump. Hickoryfoot turned, surprised to see a hollowed hole in the tree's trunk. Curious, he put a paw inside.

Instantly he pulled it out, shrieking in pain. It bit him! Something bit him! Hickoryfoot backed up, peering into the den from as close as he dared. A strange light glowed inside, flowing and shifting. Dots of white sparkled around the hollow, shining like stars. Hickoryfoot followed them with his eyes as the lights flashed back and forth, moving as if they were lightning bolts striking across the night sky.

"Hello?" he whispered into the hollow, trying to slow whatever creature shone so brightly, and had bit him. The whirring stars slowed, and something leaped onto the branch beside him.

It was a squirrel. Hickoryfoot knew that for sure. But this was no ordinary squirrel. It's light brown body shone, cloaked in light, and completely clear. White dots shown light stars on its pelt. If he hadn't known any better, Hickoryfoot might have killed it, but his mind told him that this was what he was looking for. This was the cosmic squirrel.

The cosmic squirrel hissed, rearing onto its hind legs, as if it were a threatening predator. Hickoryfoot backed up a step, but forgot of the slippery bark. His leg scattered, as his paws churned the air, looking for a paw hold as he fell into the open air. Down he fell, air rushing towards him. His whiskers trembled, and he braced himself for the impact.

_THUMP! _Hickoryfoot felt his back slam against the ground, as he lay there. He willed his paws to move, his eyes to open, but they didn't obey his command. Fluffy fur brushed his paws, gentle nudges moving up his back and to his neck. Then, without warning, something whacked against him. Hickoryfoot bolted onto his feet. _What was that?_

To his surprise, he found the cosmic squirrel on the ground beside him, chattering away. Heavybelly looked down on the squirrel, talking back as if he understood the strange rodent perfectly. _So _he _attacked me! _Hickryfoot thought, a smirk on his face. _Well we will see who is smarter and stronger._

Hickoryfoot launched himself at the squirrel, claws outstretched as if he were catching prey. He felt the fur of the squirrel under his claws as he mauled it over, rolling onto his back. The cosmic squirrel struggled, and he made sure not to kill it. Heavybelly was running towards him, limping slightly.

"What are you doing!" Heavybelly screamed. "He is our friend!"

"But he attacked me!"

"He was trying to SAVE you! He told me that your leg was a something or other and he had to do a whosy-whatsit to fix it!"

Hickoryfoot sighed, dropping the rodent, who happily dashed to Heavybelly's side. He stood, smoothing his ruffled fur with a few swipes of his tongue. "So, Heavybelly, can you ask him to send me home?"

"Of couse!" Heavybelly began to make clicking at chattering noises, which Hickoryfoot couldn't understand. They went on for awhile, Hickoryfoot seizing his chance to groom his pelt after the mouse bile incident. The taste, even with most of it washed away by the river's water, was still unbearably vile, and made him want to vomit. Mouse bile had never been so disgusting as an apprentice, and now he never wanted to see or smell it ever again.

Finally, the cosmic squirrel finished talking with Heavybelly, and the two turned to Hickoryfoot. "He says he can help, Hickoryfoot," said Heavybelly. "But he requests a battle with you first."

"I can't battle a piece of fresh-kill!" Hickoryfoot growled.

In response, the squirrel went into a fury of chattering. Its tail bushed up, and he pulled back his lips to reveal long fangs. "Fine, I'll battle."

* * *

The cosmic squirrel had been preparing for a fight for moons. He had turned a clearing in his forest into a battle zone. Small pebbles, bits of sand, and fluffy clumps of dead grass filled the clearing, making soft and suitable battle terrain. Tree branches intertwined overhead into a tangled heap of leaves and twigs, that shaded them from the sunlight.

This was a fight Hickoryfoot could not lose. He was battling a squirrel, the same creature he had hunted that day back at camp, back in his forest. It was by far the strangest fight he had ever been in, prey verses predator, but both equally matched. It might seem easy, but this squirrel was something else. Cosmic squirrel could run at amazing speeds, and had deadly claws and fangs. He was a killer squirrel at the least.

Hickoryfoot lunged forward with a powerful and swift move, pushing off the ground with all his might. The squirrel stood in place, taunting him. At the last moment, it sidestepped, leaving Hickoryfoot to eat dust. _It seems that this battle cannot be won by speed and strength. What can I do to win?_

The cosmic squirrel jumped onto Hickoryfoot's pelt. It didn't hurt, feeling more like leaves brushing his fur. He rolled over, crushing the squirrel underneath his weight for a moment. The squirrel sunk his fangs into Hickoryfoot's side, replacing suddle touch with a pain that echoed through his whole body. Trembling, he managed to shake the rodent off, before giving chase.

With quick leaps and turns, Hickoryfoot soon caught the squirrel, who gave out very much like the ones in the ThunderClan forest that he was so used to. THe squirrel struggled in his paws for a moment, Hickoryfoot almost tempted to kill it with his usual bite to the neck. He dropped the cosmic squirrel at Heavybelly's feet.

"I fought him. Now make him take me home."

"Okay," Heavybelly replied, turning to chatter with the squirrel once again. After a few moments, he turned back to Hickoryfoot. "He says to follow."

The squirrel began to move towards his tree, skipping along overhead from branch to branch. Hickoryfoot followed, happy to go back home, Heavybelly behind. leaves crunched underfoot, fragments floating into the air and filling it with their fragrances. Soon the slick tree, with its bark peeled away, came into sight, a welcoming beacon in the strange forest.

Hickoryfoot dashed up the tree, remembering the easy-to-grab holds in the bark perfectly. The cosmic squirrel raced alongside him, until they reached the hollow that marked its nest.

"Go into his nest and you will be home!" Heavybelly shouted from below.

"Goodbye Heavybelly!" Hickoryfoot shouted. "Thanks for your help!"

"I'm here if you ever need me! Goodbye Hickoryfoot!"

Then, without looking back, Hickoryfoot stepped through the entrance to the cosmic squirrel's nest.

With a gasp, Hickoryfoot sat awake, bolt upright. His brown fur was drenched in cold sweat, yet he was so relieved. It was all a dream. The river of mouse bile, Heavybelly, the cosmic squirrel, they were all only a dream. Hickoryfoot kneaded the moss of his nest for a moment, then curled up, hoping now for a dreamless snooze.

**Thanks for reading! Please review, and check out any of my other stories! Graymist out!**


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